Stay with me
by Franbunanza
Summary: A/U, set during/after "This place is death", just if the time travel lines had crossed with the s4 finale. Charladay Chapter 13: the end
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff.

A/N: This is going to be a short fic, about my favourite Lost characters not dying lol.

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"Charlotte, you have to hold on"

The red head coughed and tried her hardest to be brave, it felt futile.

"Dan…"

Her voice cracked as more blood spilled from her lips.

"Stay with me its going to be ok." he tried to reassure her and himself.

"I've got a plan. When…when we were back at the hatch I talked to Desmond. I told him to find my mother. She can help us, Charlotte. She will help us." he stroked her hair back.

"What's that noise?" Charlotte furrowed her brow.

"What noise?"

"I can hear a noise, is it real? I don't know." she sobbed half to herself and half to Daniel.

Daniel sat back and listened closely, he could hear something too now. "It's a helicopter!"

He looked up through the canopy and spotted it.

"Come on, its Frank, its landing over there, we need to go." Daniel grabbed the bags.

"It might be dangerous." she objected between heavy breaths. "Keamy."

"We have to risk it." he shouted, fear in his eyes as he glanced back and forth.

Charlotte got to her feet but fell backwards as she lost all balance and even more blood.

"I can hardly move!" she sobbed in desperation.

Daniel knelt down beside her and lifted her arms so they were around his neck, he heaved her up. "Just promise me you will hold on."

"literally or figuratively?" she tried to joke to calm him.

"Heh, both okay." she felt him shake with nerves as he started to run, it wasn't easy as he almost tripped.

Daniel hitched her up higher and thundered onwards.

"I'm too heavy." she wept out, "just go, I'll be fine."

"No...no way, I'm going to get you somewhere safe, I promise!" he panted.

Her head lolled backwards as her mind reeled.

"Charlotte! Charlotte! Come on just hang on…please."

He broke through into the clearing and was greeted by the helicopter.

"Daniel?" asked the pilot as he struggled with the shackle restraining him. "How did you get here?"

"Frank!! You have to help me!!"

Frank sat in front of him frozen with shock, "What's wrong with her?"

"She's dying, we need to get as far away from the island as possible!!"

Frank had never seen Daniel so terrified, it was frightening to see the usually mild mannered physicist close to a full blown panic attack.

"I don't want to die, I don't…Hey Frank, they have that pie you are so fond of in the canteen today, better hurry if you want some…Dan, it hurts!"

Frank stared at her with a confused expression, "Where are the others?"

"I don't know, Frank now we have to go!" Daniel lay Charlotte in helicopter, he emptied the contents of his bag until he found his hand gun.

Frank's eye's widened, as he aimed the gun at the chain of the handcuffs.

"Woohhh, you sure about that?" the bullet had been fired before he even finished his sentence.

Miraculously Daniel hit his target and freed Frank. He did as he was told and climbed in the front. Daniel climbed up and checked on Charlotte.

The sound of the whirling blades distorted what she was saying, he held her close and clung to every single beat of her heart. As more blood escaped from her nose, Daniel shouted to Frank to hurry. He knew he could not hear him.

By the time they made it back to the freighter the bleeding had stopped, but Charlotte had lost consciousness. Daniel hoped with every fibre of his body that he had gotten her out of the radius in time.

Frank came around to help him.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" he asked as he supported Charlotte on one side while Daniel took the other.

"Charlotte got very sick, I need to get her away from that Island."

"Is she going to be okay?" Frank tried to hold her up but lost his hold as Daniel buckled at the knees and swept her into his arms.

"I don't know…I just don't know." He pressed a desperate kiss to her forehead.

Frank wondered what exactly had happened between the two of them since he had left them on the island.

Daniel seemed to suddenly regain control of himself. "Frank, you need to go back, back to exactly the spot you were at before. Very…very important, so go back ok."

The slight Physicist cradled the unconscious, blood smothered anthropologist as he turned on his heel.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't change anything." he said to himself, clearly conflicted, "Frank, there is a bomb on board. Save as many people as you can."

"Dan, are you serious?!!" Frank ran his hand through his hair. "Where are you going?"

"You heard me, a bomb, the boat is going to blow so I have to take her away from here. Frank do you understand me." There was such a pained look in his eyes that Frank just gave a nod, he usually couldn't understand a word Daniel said but right now his meaning was quite clear. His first and only concern was saving Charlotte.

"Back to where I was, right?"

Dan nodded as he rushed away to grab supplies, he stuffed as much as he could into his bag. Sayid had already taken the Zodiac so he had to settle for one of the inflatable emergency rafts.

He had very little time to think his plan through, they needed to be far away from the boat.

He could have lied and tricked Frank into flying them away, but that would have been wrong and selfish. As he looked down at Charlotte he felt a pang of regret, he should have done it anyway.

No one paid him any attention as he clambered into the emergency raft and pushed away from the boat.

Charlotte now lay perfectly still in the raft.

The hours passed in horrendous silence until Daniel could no longer see the freighter or the island.

When it finally happened he had to do a double take, Charlotte's eyes were open.

"Charlotte, hey, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Dan I'm so tired." she stayed still, her voice escaping in a rasp.

"But you are alive, that's…that's all that matters."

Charlotte gave a weak smile and reached for his hand, he squeezed hers in return.

Her eyes drifted shut again, her hand still in his.

Daniel felt triumphant, he had stolen her from death. In another life, another time even, things could have been so different. The very thought of her body devoid of life made him feel sick to his stomach.

The relief that came with each steady breath she took was overwhelming. However, Daniel was aware that they weren't free from danger just yet.

Technically they were now lost at sea, the sun was still high in the sky.

Daniel took a water bottle from his bag and helped Charlotte to drink.

He then took off his ruined shirt and used it to clean the blood off of her face and neck.

"My headache has gone, by the way." she murmured.

Daniel felt euphoria sweep his whole body, tears streamed down his face as he fought back laughter. It was a bizarre feeling he had never experienced before.

"You alright, Dan?" she asked as she forced herself up on to her elbows.

He nodded between erratic sobs as he tried to get a grip. He wanted to hold her so badly but before he could make a motion to do so, she pointed out to the horizon.

"It's a boat, look over there. How did we end up out at sea? We were in the jungle?"

Daniel glanced over his shoulder, she was right, there was a boat.

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A/N: Reviews are always loved and treasured X


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff

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"So Widmore? Any relation to Charles Widmore?" Daniel asked the woman who had rescued them as he joined her up on the deck.

"He's my father actually, not that I'm on speaking terms with him at the moment." she kept her eyes out to sea.

Daniel sat down, he had insisted Charlotte get some rest. He hadn't really wanted to leave her, but thought he should come an be polite to the blonde lady who had welcomed them aboard her ship.

"How did you end up out at sea?" she asked.

"Um, we were on this island…"

"An Island?" interrupted Penny, "Do you know of a man named Desmond Hume?" she turned to face him.

Daniel nodded, "Scottish?"

"Yes! Is he alright?" Penny's eyes flashed. "I've been searching for him."

"I think so, a lot of things were happening before I left." Daniel looked down.

Penny ingested his words and decided to change the subject, she needed to believe Desmond was okay.

"So how do you know my father?"

"He was my benefactor and he sent myself and Charlotte to the island." Daniel fidgeted, he wondered if Widmore would be annoyed that he hadn't really done any of the jobs he was supposed to do.

"Charlotte?"

"My…um the girl..." he made a motion towards the cabin.

"Oh yes, of course."

"You're Daniel Faraday aren't you?" she asked after a pause.

Daniel felt uncomfortable, perhaps she knew about what he had done. He gave a nod.

"Half the company is left to you in his will, my father doesn't know that I know."

"What? Why would he do that?" Daniel was confused.

"I have my theories, I've thought about seeking you out a few times actually, so I could ask you about it, but it seems you are as surprised as I was." she mused.

Daniel felt a dawning realization, it all made sense now. Widmore had been so generous to him and he had never known, or even asked, about his father. He would remain silent on the matter until he was sure. Penny looked nothing like him, she had blonde hair and different eyes, maybe he was being ridiculous.

He leant back against the soft chair and felt fatigue ache though him. It had been days since he had last gotten any sleep. The time travel was taking its toll.

"Go and get some rest, you look awful if you don't mind me saying" Penny gave a warm smile.

Daniel got up and dragged his tired feet to the room where he had put Charlotte.

She was lying on her stomach sleeping, he fell down beside her and passed out.

* * *

Daniel finally came round after being disturbed by the sound of many people having a loud conversation. He sat up and turned to Charlotte. She was wearing clean clothes, her hair was damp and tied back into a long plate. Colour had returned to her cheeks. He noticed she was holding a bundled blue blanket in her arms.

"Dan?" she called out to him to make sure he was really awake. She was sitting cross legged next to him.

"Hey, you look better." he smiled. "What's that."

"The girl from Locke's groups baby."

"Are the other survivors here, the ones that got away?" he sat up.

Charlotte nodded, "Yeah, Frank got them on the helicopter but it crashed."

"Right, right, that must be what happened last time."

Daniel sat back and listened to the argument outside. Sun was shouting at Jack and he was shouting back.

"I tried to tell Sun not to worry and that Jin was okay, but she just thrust this kid at me." she explained.

"Is Desmond with them?" Dan rubbed his temples, he felt Sun's pain as he had almost lost Charlotte a few hours earlier.

"I don't know who that is."

"Sorry, sorry, you haven't met him…um Scottish with messy hair and a beard." he described him to her.

Charlotte nodded, "The blonde woman seemed overjoyed to see him."

"I think that she might be my sister." he confessed without even thinking about it.

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"Neither did I." he laughed.

Aaron wriggled and complained, Charlotte tried to soothe him, "God, what a time for them lot to start trusting me. I have no idea what to do with him."

The baby started to scream and cry.

Jack burst in and took Aaron from Charlotte, he stopped and glanced at Daniel.

"Where's Juliet?" he asked.

"On the Island, she's with Sawyer and Miles and all the others."

"You left them behind but somehow managed to save your girlfriend." Jack snapped.

"Look, things got very…complicated…I don't think that now is the best time to try to explain it." Daniel spoke calmly.

"Oh I think it is, start talking now!" Jack steadied the baby.

Charlotte flopped back on to the soft covers and shook her head, "He's never going to believe us."

Daniel glanced at Charlotte and held her gaze, she was probably right. She shrugged as if to say he could try it if he wanted.

"Right now, Charlotte and I are both on the island and right here. Except that's now our past." Daniel begun.

Frank had joined them.

Jack stared at them and turned his head, he seemed annoyed and angrier than before.

"When the island disappeared, you must have seen it from the helicopter, well it went on a time travelling trip." Charlotte chipped in lazily stating the facts as if they were an everyday occurrence.

A silence fell between them.

"I thought you were a goner for sure, how are you doing?" Frank directed to Charlotte.

She looked up at him, "Alright I suppose."

Daniel stood up and led Jack towards the door, so he could speak to him in private.

"I know you don't understand, but I'm telling you the truth. But right now I want you to take a look at Charlotte, she lost a lot of blood and suffered an aneurism." Daniel took a deep breath.

Jack glanced back at Charlotte, "She looks fine."

"Jack, please."

The doctor sighed and relented, he handed Aaron to Daniel and went to check Charlotte.

He took the baby out on to the deck. Desmond and Penny were sitting away from the others.

He gratefully handed Aaron to Hurley. Sun was silent and completely oblivious to everything going on around her. Sayid sat next to a sleeping Kate.

Jack joined him after a while.

"Is she alright?" Daniel asked.

"She is weaker than she is letting on, but rest will sort that out, she also seems confused and disorientated. Just keep an eye on her." Jack pushed past him so he could join Kate, who was now waking.

When Daniel returned to the cabin he found Charlotte scrubbing her teeth in the small bathroom.

"I've finally gotten the taste of blood out of my mouth." she said as she stepped back and took a look at herself in the mirror.

Daniel sat back down on the bed. Charlotte came through and bolted the door shut.

He looked at her with his soft brown eyes, she smiled and sat down next to him.

"You know when the freighter blew up my first thought was whether you were okay. All those people on board didn't even cross my mind." she kept her eyes turned down. "maybe everything that happened to me was a punishment for being so selfish."

"I don't believe that, and I don't think you are selfish. You have been by my side through every dangerous mission…" Daniel spoke softly. "You didn't do anything to deserve what happened to you today, it wasn't right or fair."

"It's what happened to you that wasn't fair, I saw how frightened you were and I wanted to make it better, but I couldn't." Charlotte shook her head, "I'm not used to losing control."

"You are safe now, and that makes everything okay."

"Dan... I can't remember what my middle name is, or what my mums phone number is, or…or how to speak Korean." this time she met his eyes, "How did you cope with memory loss?"

"I didn't, I hid away. That was until I met you. Charlotte you helped me so much, because you didn't treat me like…like I was broken." he brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ears. "I'll help you, and things will get better."

"I was worried that you only said that you loved me because you thought I was going to die. But when I look at you I feel like I want to believe, no need to believe, that that wasn't the case." Charlotte wasn't sure why she was admitting these things, she just felt safe that he wouldn't judge her.

"I never…ever…thought that you would die. I couldn't, Charlotte, I just…" He knew he was crying again but he was not ashamed. "I do love you."

"Could we just stay together now? I mean when we get off the boat, we just stay together?" the vulnerability in her voice was shocking to Charlotte. The world was locked outside and no one would ever hear her speak so openly, so desperately, except for Daniel and that made it okay somehow.

"Yeah, I don't want to loose you, not you Charlotte, not now or ever."

"That settles it." she sat up straight and smiled, her reserve and strength restored. He admired her incredible strength immensely. "So you going to kiss me then or what?"

Daniel let out a laugh and dried his eyes, the tension relieved as he moved in towards her.

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A/N: Reviews are always so loved X


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: don't own any of this stuff

A/N: thanks to the reviewers :D

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Days passed while the survivors tried to decide what to do next.

Arguments were common place as Jack insisted that they all lie.

Charlotte wasn't particularly interested, they could do as they pleased for all she cared.

Daniel upheld his promise to help her with her memory and had even given her the back section of his journal to keep notes in.

She entertained herself in quiet moments by leaving him notes that he would discover if he ever found time to flick through it.

Sometimes she would be stricken suddenly by a recollection, it had been happening more often in the last couple of hours.

It helped her to relax and calm herself down about what had happened, she was now desensitised and slightly embarrassed by it all.

Charlotte had been terrified of dying but the feeling was fading as her confidence returned.

She was joined in her quiet corner of the boat by Sun. She sat in silence beside Charlotte for a while before breaking the silence.

"A few days ago you told me my husband was alive."

"I did." Charlotte put down her pen and gave Sun her undivided attention.

"Were you telling the truth?" Sun continued.

Charlotte felt hot anger brimming, she tried to control as she considered Sun's predicament, "Do you think I'm some sort of sick monster? Of course I was telling the truth!"

Sun inhaled deeply, "How could you know this?"

"I saw him, ask Dan if you don't trust me. He asked me about you."

"Jin's English is very limited, how could you have spoken with him?" Sun held Charlotte's eyes.

"I could speak Korean, Jin used this fact to manipulate me after the excursion to "the Staff" station."

Sun took this information in, it didn't seem to surprise her that her husband had threatened Charlotte.

"What do you mean 'could speak Korean'?"

Charlotte told Sun about what had happened after she had left.

"Do you know how to get back?" Sun asked after Charlotte had finished explaining, she was unsure whether or not Sun actually understood.

Charlotte shook her head, "Your pregnant, you know what happens to pregnant women on that Island."

"So you are suggesting that I just leave Jin behind? I won't!" Sun stared her straight in the eyes, "Tell me you wouldn't do the same?"

"I'm not pregnant." she excused with a sad smile, she knew that if Daniel had been left behind she would have gone back for him. Moreover she knew Sun was aware of this and it made her cheeks flush red.

Sun's demeanour had shifted, she was now surrounded with an air of determination, she stood up and left Charlotte with the feeling that she was responsible for causing impending trouble.

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Daniel woke Charlotte early the next morning. He was clutching her face in his hands moving her side to side as he checked her nose.

"What are you doing?" she queried.

"Any head aches? Charlotte?"

"No, no, what the hell is going on?"

He lowered his hands and sighed in relief. "You have to come and see this, I still can't believe it."

Charlotte rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. "It's too early, I want to go back to sleep." she pulled him down with her and kept him locked tight in her arms.

He smiled against her shoulder, "It's the Island."

"Oh your kidding…" she sighed, "Are we within the radius?"

"Yes, that's…that's why I needed to make sure you are alright." he stroked the back of her hair with his hand.

"Honestly I feel fine, whatever John Locke was up to must have worked." she reassured, before letting out a groan, "Sun, she's going to want to go and find Jin."

"Understandably, She is already making preparations." Dan murmured as he gave up trying to pull Charlotte up with him.

"Yeah I get it, but I saw things Dan when I was sick, she's not supposed to go back."

"This place is death." he quoted as he gripped her a little tighter.

"Excuse me?"

"Its something you said, back on the island." he sighed.

"I did? I'll write it down." Charlotte released him and set about getting dressed.

"Charlotte?" he started tentatively.

"Yup?"

"I…I said I would go with Sun, in case anything happens. Sayid is coming too. Is that okay?" He sat up and waited for a reply.

"You don't have to ask my permission Daniel, and you don't owe _them _anything." Charlotte stood up straight, her back turned towards him as she pulled on the shirt Penny had given her.

"I know, I know…Its just…"

"So when do we leave?" she interrupted as she glanced over her shoulder.

"No…no, what if its dangerous?" Dan's face contorted into one of panic.

"Then you understand my logic, If I don't go with you I will be worried. No, its far better if I accompany you." She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "What if you were to go bundling into a hazardous situation and get yourself killed? Whilst I was here completely unable to protect you. Daniel, that simply wouldn't do."

"Sayid used to be a soldier." he furrowed his brow and gave Charlotte an exasperated look.

"Yes well who do you think Sayid will be more likely to look out for, his pregnant fellow plane crash survivor? or the man he has only just met?"

"Charlo…" He objected, she swiftly interjected.

"Resistance is futile." she stated as she placed a kiss on his forehead, as if it somehow settled the matter.

Charlotte put the bag down on the bed and checked the guns. She handed one to Daniel and tucked the other in the back of her jeans. "We'll just pop back, pick up Jin and the others and leave. No problem."

* * *

Sayid walked out in front, followed by Sun and backed up by Daniel and Charlotte. The four of them trekked through the Jungle, Sun and Sayid were silent.

"Hmph, I'm surprised more of her friends didn't want to come along." Charlotte whispered.

"They had enough of the place I guess, Desmond was stranded here for three years."

"Penny told me their story, its romantic really, how they were reunited after all this time." Charlotte slid her hand into Daniels, he looked down and clutched her hand in his.

"Where do you live?" she suddenly asked out of the blue.

"For the last few years, umm since the accident, Massachusetts. That's where I was born."

Charlotte looked thoughtful, "I was born _here_."

"On the Island?" Daniel tripped a few steps.

"Raised in the Dharma Initiative, until my mother and I had to leave. I never saw my father again."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, keeping his eyes on her.

"Oh sorry am I boring you?" she responded curtly.

"No, I didn't mean…just that you never mentioned any of this before." he said apologetically.

"Actually I have, remember when I told you that I was looking for where I was born and it went straight over your head?"

"Oh, right."

"Well, its why I became an Anthropologist, so I could find the island again. All things considered I just thought I should be straight with you."

Daniel smiled and quietly appreciated the gesture, Charlotte had been opening up to him a little more with every passing day and it made him feel privileged.

Sayid came to an abrupt stop, he warned them all to be silent.

They heard branches snap as a group of hostiles surrounded them. Sayid, Daniel and Charlotte held out their guns. The three of them pointed the guns at members of the group.

A blonde woman, who seemed strikingly familiar to Daniel, was armed but it seemed the others were weaponless.

"What do you think you are doing out here?" asked a grubby looking man.

"We are trying to find a friend of ours." explained Sayid as he lowered his gun in an attempt to gain their trust. Charlotte moved around to defend Sun, she pushed her into the middle of their group.

Daniel did not lower his gun, his stomach seemed to drop and his breathing had hastened. Situations such as these were not his fortay. His reason for returning was purely based on fears of further time problems that might have prevented Sun from returning.

"Your friend in the Dharma Initiative? If so they should know better than to be wandering around out here."

"The Dharma Initiative? I was of the belief that they were murdered many years ago?" Sayid continued.

One of the hostiles took offence at this, "Quit messing us around," He shoved Sayid hard, he bumped into Daniel who in the confusion dropped his gun. It fired but fortunately missed all human targets.

A second bullet was fired from a concealed hostile from within the tree's, It narrowly avoided Daniel's head. Charlotte reacted fast and started shooting blindly into the foliage. That was when the blonde raised her weapon and fired a shot of her own.

Daniel's blood ran cold as he heard a cry and a thud behind him. Sayid was within his line of vision, there could be only one of two potential victims of the shot.

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A/N: you know how i love reviews X


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff.

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Daniel didn't want to turn around, he didn't want to see. For the first time in his life he found himself hoping that a pregnant woman had been hurt. It made him feel sick but was somehow easier than considering the alternative. He forced himself around, Sun stood frozen with her jaw agape as she stared down at Charlotte.

Her red hair stood out against the green grass as she lay face down on the ground. Daniel felt every inch of air escape from his lungs and he collapsed down beside her. Darker red spilled out across the ground as he turned her over.

Charlotte was trying to hold his eyes, he kept his away too afraid to meet hers. The thick red blood was spilling out from the gun wound in the centre of her breasts.

"Dan…" she gasped.

He pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around hers, the amount of blood she was losing terrified him. The bullet must have hit her heart.

"Hey, hey, you'll be okay sweetheart." he sobbed, he wanted to keep her safe and calm.

Charlotte shook her head, "not…not this time."

Daniel's face screwed up as the tears poured down his cheeks.

Sayid watched with horror, Daniel was unaware that Sayid had lost love in a similar fashion.

The hostiles, realizing there mistake had quickly departed, leaving the blonde woman who had fired the gun alone with them.

Sayid aimed his gun at her "You did this" he spat,

"Don't, she's…she's my mother." the words tasted foul as they left Dan's mouth. "You kill her and I'll never be born." as he looked down at his ailing beloved he thought that perhaps that would be preferable.

Sayid and the young Eloise did not understand but they lowered the guns.

"You knew this would happen, why didn't you tell me…? How could you…"

Eloise looked down at Charlotte and watched as she suffered. She recognised them, they hadn't aged since she had first met them in the 50's. Guilt battled up her throat as she remembered Daniel's confession of love and how the fading woman in his arms had practically glowed after he had spoken.

Eloise swallowed It down, she had no choice. Shooting the red head had prevented her from shooting at Eloise's own love, Charles, who had concealed himself in the bushes with some of the others to provide back up should things escalate.

"I can never forgive you, not this time." he seethed between gritted teeth, his dark eyes burning into her with hatred.

"Shhh…shh…Dan, I…" Charlotte reached an arm around so she could cup his cheek. "I want you to know that I…"

Her arm fell down and her cool blue eyes went blank.

"No…no…no. Come on Charlotte." Daniel shook her gently, "Come on, please."

Maybe if he just held on tight and never let her go, he'd just wake up from this nightmare. It wasn't fair, he had saved her, had taken her from death just a few days prior. Now as she lay still in his arms he wished he had just let Sun go back to the Island, he shouldn't have gotten involved.

He wanted to press reset and to find himself back on Penny's boat with Charlotte, watching as she smirked when they talked or as she struggled with her hair in the sea breeze.

Eloise turned on her heel, she knew there was nothing she could say so she ran as fast and as far away as she could.

* * *

Daniel was lost to the world, only half aware of Sayid's words as he spoke.

"I'm going to go with Sun, are you coming?"

His head shook of its own accord.

"Very well, we shall meet you here." Sayid rested a hand on his shoulder. Daniel was yet to relinquish Charlotte from his embrace.

The other two continued their trek into the jungle, leaving Daniel alone.

After a while he untied the jumper he had been carrying around his waist and pulled it on over Charlotte's head, it hid the bullet wound from view but blood spread through the fabric. Daniel gently closed her eyes, she could have almost been sleeping if her body hadn't felt so deathly cold beneath his hands.

Sayid and Sun eventually returned with Jin and Miles.

Miles knelt down beside Charlotte's body and sighed.

"Can…can you talk to her?" Daniel murmured quietly.

"Sorry Dan, it doesn't work that way." Miles answered hesitantly. "She was thinking about you though, if its any consolation."

"I just wanted her to know…" he choked out.

"She knew, and she felt the same." interjected Jin. "I used that knowledge in an attempt to insure my wife's place on that helicopter."

Daniel didn't even question the perfect English with which he spoke.

"You should leave, there is a boat waiting." Daniel directed to Miles.

"I'm not leaving, I only came along to help you…you know…bury her." Miles tried to put it delicately.

"Shouldn't we take her body back, what about her family?" Sun objected.

"Do you know what she would have wanted?" Sayid added.

"No, I never asked her about that, why would I!? she's only 34!" Daniel buried his face in her shoulder.

"We have all lost people we love to this Island." Sayid stated.

"Charlotte spent years trying to get back here, we should bury her on the Island." Miles made the final decision, he stood up and started to dig.

As Sayid and Jin lowered her body down into the ground, they asked if Daniel wanted to say anything. The words choked him and he could not manage it. He couldn't bare to speak of all the things he had wished he had said to her, of how grateful he was to have met her and how desperately unfair it was that she had been taken away. The only person he actually wanted to speak to was now incapable of uttering another word.

Daniel wanted to talk with Charlotte, no one else in the world would do.

Before they had buried her, Daniel had taken her watch. He held it in his hand, rubbing the glass front with his thumb. She never took it off, even when she slept, or when they came to the island and he explained that time wasn't right here. He had kept his on as it was familiar, like his tie. Now he would treasure Charlotte's, a piece of her he could keep safe in his pocket.

Jin, Sun and Sayid needed to head back. They didn't hang around, as they left Daniel realised that Charlotte had been right all along, none of them really gave a damn about them. To the survivors they were simply a method of escape. He couldn't really blame them, but he knew that Charlotte was so much more, it made him angry that they never saw it.

Daniel saw no reason for leaving the island now, Miles told him to come with him back to the Dharma compound, assuring him that "Sawyer" or "Lafluer" as he was now known was head of security and could sneak him in undetected.

He did as he was told.

* * *

It was early the next morning when Daniel snuck back out of the compound, he had not slept a wink. He needed to go back and sit by Charlotte's sad, hidden grave. The troubled physicist could not remember the way and only succeeded in getting himself extremely lost in the jungle.

Eventually he stumbled into a clearing where he was greeted with the most wonderful and the most dreadful sight he had ever seen.

Stood approximately 10 yards from his frozen stance was a little girl throwing small objects down a well. There was no way that he could have been mistaken, she was one of a kind after all. Stumbling forward he caught the child by surprise. Her eyes shot up towards him, her red curls bouncing against her back as she did so.

"I'm not supposed to play here, you won't tell on me will you?" her bottom lip wobbled with fear that she would be getting a telling off.

Daniel shook his head, unable to take his eyes away in spite of the sick feeling in his stomach.

"I'm Charlotte." she smiled with the assurance that she wouldn't get in trouble.

"I know." Daniel breathed, "I'm Daniel."

The 6 year old regarded him suspiciously for a moment or two and then continued dropping items down the well.

"What…what are you doing?" he stuttered as his feet led him over to the well.

"Do you know what this is?" the child Charlotte questioned as she motioned towards the well.

"Uh…"

"It's a wishing well." she finished, her tone matter of fact, "I'm wishing that Mummy would stop yelling at Daddy. She's so cross at him, she doesn't like our home anymore."

"If you tell someone your wish then it doesn't come true." he reiterated something he had been told by a teacher in his first year of school.

Charlotte grinned, "Wishes aren't real, they are just pretend."

Daniel remained silent.

"Your eyes are red, you've been crying." her smile faded. "Why?"

Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat, "I lost the something very special."

"Can I help you look for it?" she peered up at him, clearly troubled by the pain he was trying so hard to conceal.

He shook his head, "Its gone forever."

Charlotte reached into her pocket and pressed a coin into his hand. "Try making a wish, then maybe things will get better."

"But you said wishes aren't real." he pointed out.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah, but when I pretend that it _might_ work sometimes it makes me feel a bit happier anyway."

Daniel dropped the coin down the well, he made his wish just like she told him to all the while knowing it was futile. As a man of science he felt uncomfortable when it came to acts of faith.

"Any better?"

Daniel lied and nodded his head to try to make her feel better. This must have been the well she had told John Locke and the others about. The construction site he had passed must have become the Orchid station.

"I have to go, Mummy and Daddy will be waking up soon. Nice to meet you." She waved as she dashed off into the jungle.

He considered shouting after her, to tell her to leave and never ever come back, but it was too late.

Daniel felt the weight of the world push him down, he sat on the side of the well unaware of exactly how old the brick's were. They gave way beneath him and he stumbled backwards down into the well.

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A/N: reviews are adored XX


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff.

A/N: Chapter dedicated to Dr. Giggles for being such a loyal reviewer XX Its greatly appreciated X

* * *

Daniel lay on the floor and contemplated the strange cruel irony that he could fall from a great height and remain relatively unharmed whilst it took just a single bullet to kill Charlotte.

He sat up and sighed, now trapped down the well surrounded by small objects that had been dropped down, no doubt by the Child Charlotte. He picked up a small toy car and a rather expensive looking gold necklace that she had probably taken from her mothers jewellery box and shoved them into his pocket, more souvenirs from his ill fated trip to the Island, as he did he felt something cut his hand.

Daniel removed the offending object, it was Charlotte's watch. The glass front had shattered when he hit the bottom of the dry well.

It rested in his hand now as broken as its owner, Daniel inspected it closer and noticed that while the hands were still ticking they were now turning anti-clockwise. It was a strange phenomenon. As he watched he thought honestly about how sick he was of physics and time and all of the crap he had spent his life studying. All he had really wanted was to play the piano and live a quiet life, but it wasn't enough for his mother and he had striven so hard to make her proud of him. A bitter sensation took a hold of him when he thought of his mother the murderer.

His shirt was stained with Charlotte's blood, he hoped it hadn't scared the 6 year old version of her too much. There were clean clothes waiting for him back at Miles house but he hadn't been thinking straight before he had left.

The future looked bleak, he didn't want to live in Dharma with Sawyer who was blunt and aggressive, Juliet who was patronising and Miles who he actually got on with sometimes. He had wanted to take Charlotte home to Massachusetts like they had planned together back on Penny's boat.

Dan supposed he might as well attempt to get him self out of the well, at least it would distract him from thinking about his mom and his miserable Charlotte-less future.

There was no way he could climb back up so he wandered further down. In front of him, imbedded into the unusual looking rock, was a wheel. Perhaps if he turned it it would lower a rope. As he placed his hands on it he was suddenly reminded of the protocol from the boat, he was sure that this was a part of it. Daniel stopped and took a step back. If he turned the wheel he could be putting himself in danger. He was pretty tired of thinking things through all the time so he pushed it round. There was a bright flash of light and for a split second he worried about what might happen to the people on the island, then everything went dark.

* * *

Daniel opened his eyes to be greeted with an expanse of bright blue sky and the burning sun. He squinted as he climbed to his feet. He looked around, there was dark coloured sand in every direction. Dan deduced that he was no longer on the island. He stood still in bewilderment with no clue as to where he could be or what he could do about it.

He checked his bag for a compass but he was pretty sure that he had left it back at the camp before everything had started to go wrong. The radio phone was broken and useless, the situation appeared hopeless. Daniel trekked off completely aimlessly.

The feeling of not knowing what he should do made him highly uncomfortable, it was a reminder of how it felt after he damaged his memory. Except this time he was completely alone, no doctors or caretakers to tell him what to do. He never really _needed _them, but he did need Charlotte. Without her he found himself quite literally lost.

After a couple of hours in the relentless burning sun he fell flat on his face from heat exhaustion.

* * *

"They all think your crazy you know? Your colleagues back at the camp." stated a dark haired woman as she drove a jeep across the desert.

Her co-worker fidgeted in the passenger seat and shrugged.

"They just don't get why Widmore would fund you for a ridiculous excavation." she added with a laugh, no longer trying to conceal the fact that she was digging for information.

"Sorry, I thought you were hired for translation purposes, its not really any of your business is it?" the passenger retorted as she turned to face the window.

They drove on in uncomfortable silence until the first woman slammed on the breaks.

"What the bloody hell are you playing at!" shouted the second woman as her seat belt caught her. "You trying to kill us Rachel?"

"There is somebody out there." The dark haired woman explained as she reached for her rifle and opened the door.

The passenger followed her out. There was a man laying in the sand.

"Stand back it could be dangerous." Rachel suggested as she aimed the gun.

The other woman ignored instructions and knelt down beside him before turning him over.

"Hello, can you hear me." she called out, she poured some of her water onto his face. "What are you doing here? This is a closed sight."

The man stirred and half opened his eyes, they widened rapidly as he looked up into the woman's eyes.

"Charlotte?" he gasped, he forced himself up and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Rachel smirked, "Do you know him or something?"

Charlotte shook her head as the man buried his faced against her neck.

"Well he knows you." she chuckled, it was an unusual sight, Charlotte being hugged.

"Come on, he must have really been through something. He is probably just confused." she justified, she could feel him crying quietly against her shoulder, it made her stomach clench with a sudden sadness but she didn't let it show.

Her translator muttered that confusion did not explain how he had known her name as she helped lift him into the back of the jeep. Charlotte had to sit in the back as well as the man refused to release her hand from his, even when he passed out for a second time.

Rachel had seen Charlotte deliver a slap for far less before. She had worked with her for just under a month, long enough to learn that Charlotte was usually cold and dismissive to most people. Now she sat with a perfect stranger and held his hand.

She was definitely hiding something, but that was nothing new.

"So Theories? What do you think he was up to out there?" Rachel called back.

"He doesn't look like he was prepared for desert life, I think he was lost." Charlotte observed, "There is blood on his shirt."

"Maybe he's an axe murderer." joked the driver.

Charlotte gave Rachel an unamused look, she turned back to the unconcious man and accidently touched the blood stained fabric of his shirt, she felt a numb of pain in her heart.

"Wonder what his name is?" raised Rachel as she glanced back in the mirror.

Charlotte used her free had to route through his bag until she found a wallet. Before she even found his driving licence she knew what his name was, it offered confirmation. She closed his wallet and put it back in the bag.

"Daniel." she announced, it couldn't possibly be the man she had met 28 years ago, could it?

Perhaps he was his son and it was all a strange coincidence, that was a possibility. But it seemed unlikely that he would be dressed identically as the man from her childhood, burned into her memory with his sad eyes and blood stained clothes.

Charlotte would keep this strange suspicion to herself, now convinced that they might have a point about her being crazy.

* * *

AN: Review if you want


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this stuff.

A/N: Just wanted to say thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, greatly appreciated X. Made me very happy.

* * *

An angry looking man with a heavy accent was interrogating Daniel, he wanted to know how exactly he had found out about the excavation and why he had trespassed on to their sites.

Daniel did not know how best to answer this question, instead he just watched as Charlotte paced around the tent, behind the interrogator and a couple of other people who seemed to be in charge.

When he had first woken up he had hazily assumed that he was dead and that was why he was seeing Charlotte.

Now he figured that he was back in time, before her death, before she had even set foot back on that island.

He felt more comfortable with his current theory as he had never really believed in an after life. Although if it meant a reunion with Charlotte, he thought he might be able to believe.

Charlotte met his eyes a couple of times before glancing away. This must be the excursion she had told him about on the freighter, the one where she had found the dharma relic. Widmore had been impressed by her commitment that he had offered her a place on the trip to the island. This is where…or when rather…she had started down the path that would lead her to her death. Widmore choose to send Daniel and Charlotte to the island because of there specific "talents", although neither of their talents were quite as impressive as being able to speak to the dead.

It suddenly occurred to him that name dropping could get him out of trouble, "I'm Charles Widmore's son."

"Widmore does not have a son." the man responded coldly.

"Ah…Um…Illegitimate son." It felt strange to say out loud after a life time of never having a father. "I just got lost out there and the heat…all too much."

The interrogator observed him, "City boys have no business in the desert." he stood up and turned to leave.

"You, this is your responsibility." he notified Charlotte as he exited the tent followed by the small group that had congregated around him.

Daniel found himself alone with her. She continued pacing back and forth.

"I got rid of your other shirt, I thought It would cause unnecessary complications." Charlotte enlightened him as to why he was now just in his t-shirt.

"Oh, because of the blood. I just bumped my nose." he lied.

She didn't seem entirely convinced but did not raise any further objections.

"So Dan… are you really Widmore's son?" Charlotte asked as she removed her hat and placed it on the small table in the corner. "That's quite a scandal."

As Daniel took in his surroundings he surmised that it was probably Charlotte's tent. Everything was neatly organised just the way she liked it.

"You…um…you know my name?" His eyes lit up with misplaced hope as she spoke his name in the same way she had done a thousand times or more.

"I read it on your driving licence." she explained as she handed him a bottle of water.

"…Of course." he looked down at his feet and cursed himself for thinking for a second that she might know who he was.

"You know my name though, don't you?" she stood still with her arms crossed and faced him.

Daniel drank gratefully from the bottle before answering, "My father told me about you, he's impressed with your work. Not many redheads in the desert, so that's how I knew it was you." he pointed towards her.

They locked eyes and considered each other as they both blurred the truth.

Daniel's reserve slipped as a smile broke out across his face. He stared up at her as she stood before him poised in her signature hands on hips stance.

"You're alive, you're okay." he thought over and over as relief and joy replaced the emptiness he had felt after she had been shot, he could talk to her again.

He didn't know how this had happened, he didn't care how. He would figure out what he should do later, right now he was content to look at the woman he loved whilst he busily battled back the knowledge that she was completely oblivious to their relationship.

Tunisia was Charlotte's first real link back to her past, now she was there with a man who had a role to play in her past and future.

She gave Daniel a quick, awkward smile. He had been grinning like an idiot at for a minute or so. Her smile urged him to establish himself as a part of her present as well as the future and the past.

"Get some rest." she instructed as she put her hat back on and motioned to him to lye down.

Dan did as instructed, finally able to rest.

* * *

He woke up after a couple of hours and decided to go and have a look at what was outside. It must have been their base camp. A couple of tents were arranged in a circle around a marquee effect with tables underneath that was acting as a communal kitchen area.

The dark haired woman who had helped bring him in directed him to a wash area so he could get cleaned up.

There was no sign of Charlotte anywhere, she must have gotten back to work.

"So did Widmore send you to check up on us?" asked one of the archaeologists as Daniel went to sit on one of the tables in the central area.

"Uh, yeah." it seemed his cover story was working rather well. He thought back to how useless he was at lying on the Island and wondered where he had gained the ability.

The other man introduced himself as Will and shook Daniel's hand in his, he sat down beside him and handed Dan a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

"The thing is, we could get a lot more work done if that crazy Ginger chick didn't spend all day looking for stuff that doesn't exist. I mean did you ever hear of the "Dharma Initiative", because apparently that's what she researching."

"I thought that information was confidential?" responded the unimpressed physicist.

"Well yeah, but a few of us "found" some of her notes." Will continued with a smug look.

"Ah, right." Dan gave a patronising nod.

"We want to know is whether or not you can do something about it? I mean don't get me wrong she's got a fantastic backside, just a shame she's cracked in the head. What do you think? Can you call this whole thing off?" a smirk remained confidently across his face.

Dan paused for a moment and looked thoughtful, he glanced away and then back at Will, "I think…um, Well… I think you're a jerk and that maybe you should watch your mouth." he finally answered in a hushed tone, keeping an assertive half smile across his face.

It felt good to be able to tell people who deserved it off, he hadn't ever really had trouble with doing that but it was comforting to know that he wasn't going to get punched, after all they all thought he was the big bosses son. Which while he suspected to be the truth, in all honesty could not be sure.

His companion raised his hands in defence and stalked off, clearly annoyed that his prejudiced grievance would not be seen to.

"Making friends already I see." came a familiar voice from behind him.

Daniel glanced back over his shoulder, he hoped she hadn't over heard the conversation. Not that some loser calling her crazy was likely to have bothered Charlotte.

"He's…um" Dan searched for the right word.

She sat up on the table next to him. "An arse?" she completed.

"Yeah." he gave a light laugh. "Here do you want some of these Chips?" he offered her.

"God, I would kill for chips right now. These, however, are crisps." Charlotte informed as she took a handful.

"Right, right, I should know that."

"How come?" she queried before crunching another crisp.

"Well my mom is English and I went to oxford."

"Oh really, so did I. What did you study?" she sounded genuinely interested, just as she had done the first time they had had this conversation on board the freighter.

Daniel didn't mind repeating himself though. Seeing the enthusiasm shine in her eyes as they swapped educational backgrounds and experiences once again made it all so worth it.

* * *

A/N: Just a quick chapter really, review if you feel like it *smile*XX


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Do not own this stuff

* * *

Daniel leantback against a wooden trunk filled with archaeological equipment. It had dawned on him that he had been in Tunisia for nearly three weeks and was still no closer to making any definitive plans as to what his next step should be. He had been absently flicking through his journal under one of the large lamps that were switched on after nightfall.

He sat by himself on the outskirts of the camp as the rest of the group were having some sort of party, it was one of the students birthdays. They had invited him to join them, from politeness rather than actually desiring his company, but he had declined when he noticed absence of Charlotte amongst their ranks. She wasn't in the tent he had been sharing with her either. Daniel concluded that she was probably off somewhere still working.

He turned his attention back to his journal as he noticed entries in a hand different from his own. They were notes from Charlotte, written when he had let her use his journal to write down things that she remembered. She had scribbled notes addressed to Daniel, they varied from comments about how curt Jack had been with her at breakfast to how she had had enough of boats to last a lifetime and whether he agreed? He favoured the rare entries in which she expressed her deep affections towards him. It was unlike her to speak so openly, he figured that it was probably easier for her to write them down.

"Look what I lifted from the popular kids party." he looked up from his journal and was greeted by familiar brown boots. Dan tried not to blush when he realised he was staring at her long legs again. Charlotte was holding a bottle of whiskey in her hands. She sat down beside him, "Have a drink with me?"

"Sure." he replied as he closed his journal and tucked it under his leg out of sight.

She poured a generous amount into two cups. He took the one she offered him and then tapped it against hers.

"Cheers." Charlotte muttered.

Daniel swallowed some of his drink, "So, how is everything going…with the uh… well whatever it is you've been doing."

"Hmm" Charlotte passed her cup from hand to hand, "Not as well as I had hoped. If I don't make any significant finds soon then I'm certain your dad will cut me off."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Dan eyed her disappointed expression, "I know that this means a lot to you."

"Oh you do do you, and how have you come to that conclusion?" She gave a playful smile.

Dan shrugged and returned her smile, they had become firm friends during his stay in the desert. She seemed grateful of his company and they had even stayed up late together talking. It reminded him of how they had grown close on the freighter, he was enjoying getting to know her all over again.

"I just get that impression, your passionate about your work." he gave his reasoning, he wouldn't ask her why. Dan knew that if she wanted to talk about it then she would.

"Yeah well, perhaps not as passionate as I once was. How about you? Do you enjoy your work." Charlotte looked up at him as she refreshed their drinks.

Daniel had been giving this particular subject a lot of thought recently, "Um actually I don't, not…not anymore."

"Because of the accident?" she inquired, her tone softening.

"Partly…"

Charlotte had asked him about whether or not he had a girlfriend a couple of days after he had first arrived. It would have been incredibly difficult to explain that she, was in fact, his girlfriend. So he had instead used it as a chance to tell her about Theresa. Charlotte had seemed uncomfortable at first, but after taking it in had assured him that it was not his fault. It felt liberating to be completely honest with her. The first time round he had skimmed over the facts a little and had told Charlotte that his research assistant had been irreversibly damaged by his experiments. While this was in fact the truth but he had omitted the slight detail that she had also been his girlfriend. This time around he told Charlotte everything, she had not said much but had squeezed his hand consolingly.

"A lot of reasons really. I think I'm just finished with Physics." He sniffed and sat up a little. Charlotte moved in a little closer, her hip now pressed against his.

"I admire your honesty, But… I mean… aren't you afraid? You've spent your whole life working in science and, what? Now your just going to stop?" this notion seemed to unsettle Charlotte slightly. She downed her drink and filled the cup again.

"Its just that I think I've already wasted enough time with it. We only get one life after all." he held his finger up to signify one life. He held his cup out to her, she poured in more whiskey as she considered his words.

Daniel had spent more too much of his life trying to make his mother proud of him, that wasn't enough anymore. He let his mind slip back to the jungle, to Charlotte writhing on the floor letting "You know what my mum would say about marrying an American," slip out. It filled him with a guilty sort of hope that he knew he shouldn't have let himself feel. When he was honest he knew that was what he really wanted, but letting himself believe that he might be able to have a life with Charlotte felt like a set up for further pain. Inevitably the day would come when she would step up on to that Freighter once again. Could he really stop her?

"Dan," she sighed, "Maybe you have a point." she added quietly as she rested her head against his shoulder. "What do you want to do instead?"

Daniel moved his hand up against her back and placed it on her shoulder.

The music from the party could still be heard in the distance.

"Music, piano specifically." he told her, hoping it didn't sound foolish.

"Can you play?"

"I achieved grade eight by the time I was twelve, but I had to give it up so I could focus on science and maths." he was aware of the touch of bitterness apparent in his voice.

"Impressive, you are just full of surprises aren't you." It was getting late now and the rapidly cooling night air encouraged Charlotte to move even closer and to rest her right arm on Dan's left leg.

"All this work I'm doing, its so I can find the place where I was born." she said after a moment of silence, as if a sudden need to justify her own career choices had struck her.

Daniel feigned surprise.

"I was born on an Island but I left when I was six. When I'd ask about it my mum told me that I just made it up. Sometimes she'd take me to these doctors and they all said that I had an overly active imagination. Mum would say that I should stop showing off and that I was born in Essex and there was nothing special about that. She'd just get really angry with me, I didn't think I was special or anything I just wanted to see my dad again." Charlotte kept her eyes locked tightly on expanse of desert stretching out in front of them.

"Your dad stayed behind?" Dan furrowed his brow, Charlotte had not mentioned this detail before.

"Yeah, sometimes I still miss him, even now, Isn't that stupid! I know he probably forgot about me and carried on with his life. Regardless, I wanted to prove that I'm not crazy and to just see that place again." she swallowed down rising emotion.

"Charlotte…I…I'm so sorry." Dan choked out, "I don't think he would have forgotten about you."

"Why didn't he come and find me then?" she asked meeting his eyes, a genuine longing for an answer shimmering beneath the light blue surface.

"Perhaps he couldn't" Dan replied simply, wishing that he could have provided a better remedy.

"Do you think I'm crazy now?" Charlotte challenged.

Daniel grinned and gave a slight laugh, "Charlotte…I sent mice through time, I'm in no position to identify crazy."

She laughed, pressing her forehead against his cheek as she did. Daniel let his hand slide down to her upper arm and squeezed her a little.

"You know I've never met anyone like you before." she mused.

Being different had served Daniel well. Gifted and polite, he had opportunities handed to him on a plate. He suspected that the opposite could be said for Charlotte, being different had made her isolated.

Now he had a better understanding of why that was. She had suffered alienation where as he had received encouragement, all be it from a domineering mother who pressured him into making choices that might not have been considered in his best interests.

"Well that's not necessarily true actually." Charlotte interrupted his thoughts by continuing.

He opened his mouth with the intention to ask her to elaborate but she had already begun. "Once when I was a little girl, living on that island, I ran off into the jungle even though it was forbidden, and I met a man. He was so sad because he had lost something dear to him. That man was the spitting image of you, Dan."

"Do you think…" he started nervously, unsure about how to tackle this matter.

"That I was young and that I'm only seeing a likeness because I met you in strange circumstances and I met that man in strange circumstances?" she questioned.

"Uhh…"

"Because yes that's the conclusion I came to, it is the most logical answer. That or you've got one hell of an anti-aging regime." Charlotte gave him a sideways glance and a laugh.

Daniel smiled back at her, pleased he had dodged that bullet and with no actual input.

Whiskey certainly loosened Charlotte's tongue, she hadn't consumed enough to be drunk but certainly enough to help her relax a little.

"I hope that things got better for that guy." she sighed, "Anyway its getting cold." Charlotte got to her feet. Daniel nodded, his legs had gone to sleep from sitting on the floor for too long so he held out his hand to Charlotte, she heaved him up to his feet. She brushed the desert dust out of his hair with her fingers.

"Come on, we'll polish this off back at the tent." she shook the half empty whiskey bottle in her hand.

* * *

a/n: reviews are loved X


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.

* * *

It was late the next evening before Charlotte could return to the camp, she had had a long and productive days work. She had left Daniel fast asleep, the whiskey had knocked him out cold.

Charlotte said goodnight to her translator and retired to her tent. Daniel was sitting on his bed reading that book he constantly had with him. He always seemed reluctant to put it down and never left it out of his reach. Charlotte made a note to take a look at it while he was asleep so she could see for herself just what was so interesting about it. She felt a bit guilty, maybe it was his diary. This idea served only to peek her interest.

"Hi," Dan got to his feet and poured her some water.

Charlotte smiled at the kind gesture.

"Have you seen this?" she asked as she unfolded the newspaper she had been carrying, she sat down on Dan's bed and he came to join her.

"I can't uh… understand what it says." he took a look at the headline, he might not have been able to understand the language but he certainly knew to what the article was referring. Dan didn't feel like crying this time, he knew that the report was false.

"It says they've found that oceanic plane, the one that went missing." Charlotte shook her head.

"That's so sad…"

"Dan, its bollocks! There something not right with all of this, I don't believe any of it." she folded the paper back up and discarded it.

She was right but telling her so was a bad idea. Charlotte seemed distracted anyway.

She removed her hat and took her hair out of the ponytail she had been wearing it in all day. Dan couldn't help but stare upon her long ginger hair as she shook it out.

"So aren't you going to ask me…?" Charlotte asked.

Dan looked clueless but took a guess "Find anything?"

"Why, yes actually I did." she smiled, he had asked the right question.

She took a leather strap out of her bag and straightened it out in her hands.

Daniel stared down at the Dharma logo for the Hydra station. If he had looked up she would have seen the disappointed expression on his face.

"It is actual evidence of the existence of the Dharma Initiative. I found it with the remains of a polar bear if you can believe that!" she was grinning, that big giddy smile he had seen when they had first seen the island over the horizon.

Daniel said nothing, now he felt like crying.

"You could be a little more pleased for me!" she spoke sharply.

"I am, Charlotte, I am." Dan looked up and forced a smile, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She put away her newly acquired artefact before grasping his waist.

"Your dad is coming, he said something about wanting to speak to me about a trip." her voice had softened, somehow she knew that this was not what Daniel had wanted to hear.

His hand was in her hair, he was always doing that and when it was Dan crossing into her personal space she didn't mind. She enjoyed it.

"Don't go." Dan spoke so quietly that if he hadn't have been so close she never would have caught it.

"The trip is to the island, the one I've been looking for all my life. I have to go."

"I know, but I want you to stay…" he held off the words "with me"

"Dan…" she kissed his cheek and stroked the other with her hand, "I will come back, Nothing is forever after all."

These words were meant to offer some comfort, but they seemed only to sadden Daniel further. Charlotte frowned, the melancholy look adorning his kind face reminded her once more of the tragic figure from her past.

She didn't want to loose Daniel, it had been so long since she had felt truly close to someone. It occurred to her to ask him to come along, but it was against her nature. Charlotte was never needy.

Daniel took a deep breath to calm his nerves, he leant in and kissed Charlotte's lips.

"I'm sorry." he apologised.

"Don't be. Come on." she encouraged leaning in close to him again. His thumb brushed her bottom lip before he kissed her again. Her arms snaked around his neck as she pulled him down on top of her.

He paused and met her eyes, so blue where as his were so brown. Charlotte caught his lips once more and kissed him even deeper.

Daniel pressed his fingers beneath her collar bone, he traced them down over her soft skin coming to a rest at the centre of her chest. The last time he had done this her chest had been punctured by his mothers gun. The most sensitive parts of her flesh were etched into his memory, giving him somewhat of an unfair advantage.

* * *

"Widmore is here to see you."

Charlotte opened an eye to find Rachel standing in the entrance to her tent. She used the thin sheet to cover herself.

"Get out." she told her coldly.

Rachel was smirking, "I guess that answers the questions about why you have such extravagant funding."

"Its not like that." Charlotte glanced down at Daniel, he was still sleeping soundly.

"I'm not surprised, you made it pretty obvious."

Charlotte was being treated to an uncomfortable reminder of what it was like to be back at school, she never liked people snooping in her business.

"Tell Mr. Widmore I will be with him in a few moments."

Rachel knew she had gotten away with all the teasing she could and wisely followed the dismissal.

Charlotte dressed, tidied her hair, she went to put on her watch but could not find it. She spotted it, eventually, buried under Daniels trousers. As she fastened it around her wrist she noticed that the glass front had shattered.

"Damn it," she cursed, before dashing out for her meeting.

Widmore was sitting at one of the tables with a dark haired woman. Charlotte held out her hand to him.

"Mr. Widmore, a pleasure to meet you at last. I must apologise for being late, it seems my watch has broken."

He shook her hand, "Miss Lewis, I'm very interested to hear about your recent findings. Let me introduce my operative, Naomi Dorrit."

Charlotte shook Naomi's hand and offered the both of them some water.

She told them about the Dharma relic she had found, Widmore was interested and requested to see it. Charlotte fetched it and told him about how it was found with the remains of a polar bear. Widmore seemed immensely satisfied by this and had a jeep filled with surveillance equipment taken to the site.

Charlotte had asked what purpose it would serve, he gave no answer but changed the subject to that of the excursion to the island.

Widmore stopped talking abruptly, Charlotte glanced over her shoulder. Daniel had woken up and left the tent in search of break fast. He was now standing almost frozen in his tracks.

"Daniel?" Widmore furrowed his brow as if he was unsure of what he was seeing.

Charlotte fidgeted, she had a sneaking suspicion that Daniel hadn't been sent to the desert by Widmore after all.

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A/N: review if ya want X


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff.

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Dan tried not to panic, fighting the urge to just turn back and hide under the covers. Charlotte had told him that Widmore was coming but he had put it to the back of his mind. He had been so distracted by what had happened last night that he had momentarily forgotten about all the awkward unpleasantness resting on the horizon.

"What are you doing here, Daniel?" Widmore repeated as he got to his feet. He had that patronising tone, that people would use to talk to Daniel after the accident, in his voice.

Dan glanced at Charlotte, she cocked an eyebrow and pouted her lips slightly. His expression fell into one that was somewhere between apologetic and helpless.

"Daniel said he was here to keep an eye on us." Charlotte crossed her arms across her chest and waited for him to respond.

Dan squirmed, "Um, no, because I never actually said that. It was just implied."

"Still thats a lie of omission, Dan." Charlotte shook her head, reluctant to let him off so easily.

He shot her a look that he hoped expressed "you are not helping."

She just rolled her eyes, "Come on, Naomi was it? It seems that these two need to talk in private."

Naomi, who seemed frustrated that the meeting had been interrupted, followed after Charlotte.

"I spoke to you three days ago, you said you were going to join the expedition to the island and that you were heading down to Fiji early as to prepare yourself." Widmore asked once the girls were out of earshot.

Dan sat down, he kept his eyes from meeting Widmore's as he nervously fidgeted with Charlotte's deserted cup.

"Have you had a change of heart?" he continued when Daniel did not respond.

Dan raised his eyes and stared, now serious and confident.

This seemed to surprise Charles a little.

"You told me that the people from that plane crash were ok, but they weren't going to stay that way for long were they?" his tone was low.

"You remember that conversation?" Charles was becoming aware of big change in Daniel. The confused and pitiful man he had encountered less than a week ago was gone.

"Either you want to go or you don't. I shan't beg, there are plenty of people I could send in your place." He was growing impatient.

"But you see the thing is I've already been." Dan confessed, "I pushed the wheel near to the Orchid and wound up here."

Widmore's mind was working fast, what Daniel had said confirmed Charlotte's findings. Tunisia was an exit point for the island, but he had never heard of it taking anyone back through time before.

"Impossible!"

"A month ago I would have completely agreed with you, but it's the truth." Daniel shoved a hand into his pocket and removed Charlotte's watch, "Look I took this from Charlotte on the Island, she's wearing it right now."

Charles looked down at it in Daniel's hand, she had shown him her broken watch before the meeting had started. It was clearly the same one.

"You don't expect me to be convinced by that, for all I know you picked up matching ones at a cheap bazaar."

"Its engraved." Daniel added absently, he had just realised that she must have found the broken one. It had been careless to leave it in his pocket. He feared he had misplaced until he noticed the strap poking out from under the pillows. He hadn't checked it before stuffing it back in his pocket, now he'd have to be sure to hide it somewhere more secure and just pretend that he had stood on it and thats why it was cracked.

Charles inspected the "CSL" scratched into the silver back at returned it to Daniel.

"Sorry Daniel, but I just don't believe you."

"I met my sister, she came to find Desmond. I met Penny." there was no turning back now, he had said it. His theory was about to be discredited or confirmed.

"Is she alright?" Widmore spoke up after a painful silence.

"Yeah, she's fine, better than fine, she found Desmond. He was on the Island too."

The only part Widmore really cared about was hearing that Penny was okay, she hadn't spoken to him in a long time.

"Your mother and I…" Charles began awkwardly.

"Don't…I don't want to hear about what you two decided, or why you never told me that you're my father…I don't want to know about that. But there is one thing I want…"

"What is it?"

"Both of them die on the island." Daniel pointed discreetly to Charlotte and Naomi.

Widmore gave a cold laugh as he realised what Daniel wanted, "So I should just break up my elite team to save them? Its taken me years to assemble the right group. "

"Just Charlotte." Dan felt a twist of icy guilt in his stomach as he spoke, he did not want Naomi to die but if he had to compromise then his choice was already made.

Charles remembered Ellie telling him about the woman she had killed that day in the jungle. She had told him that they had actually met even before then in the 50's, although Charles could not recall. As Daniel grew older and the terrible truth had dawned on Eloise she had realised that she had murdered the woman their son loved.

Charles had told her that it wasn't her fault as she wasn't to know and that if it happened it was supposed to happen. Ellie had turned on her heel and stormed out of his life forever.

He felt anger bubbling beneath his cool demeanour. Charles might not have been the perfect father but he had given Daniel plenty by way of extravagant grants for his research and by clearing up the hideous mess his son had made of Theresa Spencer.

"Oh I see, you're bored of Theresa now she can't function, so you've found someone new."

"No…no…its not like that I've told you, I never wanted to hurt her." Dan recoiled in shock, "Please don't take Charlotte away." he added in a whisper.

Widmore got to his feet and firmly placed his hands down on the table in front of his ungrateful son, "Did you ever think that maybe she was supposed to die, that maybe that was what the island wanted?"

Dan cowered, broken and to afraid to say anything else, Widmore had been unjustifiably wicked.

Before Daniel could comprehend what was happening he felt the table being pushed out of the way and heard a thunderous slap. When he looked up he saw a furious Charlotte standing between him and Widmore. His father was clutching the side of his face.

"Don't you ever talk to him like that! Do you understand me!" Charlotte screamed at Charles. She had not heard what he had said but she had seen the way in which he had and the reaction it had on Dan.

"Oi, back off." Naomi grabbed her by the back of her arms, yanked her back and restrained her. Charlotte shook her off.

Daniel's jaw hung open slightly, Charlotte might just have thrown away her only chance to find the island again. All doubt concerning whether or not she loved him in return vanished in a flash.

She turned cautiously to Daniel, keeping an eye on Widmore, "You alright."

"Yeah, I'm okay. Really."

Charlotte moved her hand back for Dan to take, he did and she squeezed it gently before stroking her thumb back and forth across his skin.

Widmore looked livid, but responded with "Perhaps I was to harsh, please accept my apologies Daniel. Charlotte best of luck with the voyage, you will be rendezvousing with Miss Dorrit in Fiji in two weeks."

Charlotte was oblivious to the fact that it was the cruellest thing he could have possibly said.

Charles and Naomi made there way back to the jeep they had driven in in. Charles took a look back and felt deep regret, he had just isolated the last family member he had left.

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A/N: Just quick chapter, hope to have the next up relatively soon. Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed, love it!!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff

A/N: I'm posting this at 1:47 am english time, which means its officially my birthday lol! This is sort of a bit of a filler chapter, I know where I want to go over the next couple of chapters so its a step in that direction. Anyways thanks millions to all you awesome reviewers!!!

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"Essex, Massachusetts is hardly close to Fiji though is it." Charlotte couldn't hide her smile as she folded more clothes into her trunk.

"No… but it is…uh slightly… closer than Essex, England." Dan pointed out.

"True, hang on I never told you that I live in Essex." Charlotte stopped packing for a moment.

"You went there after you left the island didn't you, the years before you went to Oxford?"

"Yeah, but I didn't give specifics." she narrowed her eyes as she folded a T-Shirt.

"Well, I could just tell by your accent." he tried to cover.

Charlotte dropped her jaw and chucked her t-shirt at his head, "Oi! Cheeky git!! I do not have an Essex accent!"

Daniel just laughed and refolded her shirt, "So is that a yes or a no?"

Charlotte wrapped the Dharma strap in a spare piece of cloth, she concentrated on settling it safely with her luggage before straightening up. "Oh alright then, I'll come to your house. But I swear if I get there and you've got some sort of harem set up of strange women you have collected from around the world then I'll kick your arse."

"I promise I don't make a habit of it." Dan got to his feet and hugged Charlotte close to him.

"Hmm, okay, come on we need to finish packing." she said as she wriggled free.

Daniel nodded and helped stack up a pile of books.

"Look, I'm sorry about your dad. It must have been hard growing up with that." Charlotte took the books as he handed them.

Dan sighed, "Um, I only found out he was my father about a month ago, When I met my half sister under unusual circumstances."

"Heh, and I thought my family circumstances were complicated."

"Charlotte, thanks for standing up for me." he smiled affectionately at her.

She felt her cheeks turn slightly pink. Blushing easily was an annoying consequence of pale skin but she had thought she'd gotten the hang of concealing it by now.

"Most guys get intimidated by _that sort of behaviour_." she spoke mimicking her mother's disapproving tone. "Then again you aren't like most guys."

"I'll try to take that as a compliment."

"You should, it was intended as one." Charlotte shut down the lid on her trunk. "I'll just double check I've got everything." she knelt down and check under the camp bed.

"Dan, is this yours?" she asked as she retrieved an object from under the bed, she held out her hand to reveal a small toy car.

Daniel internally cursed himself for leaving objects he found on the island lying around again. "Yes."

"So you didn't bring any clothes but you did bring a toy car?" Charlotte shook her head and put it down to eccentric nature.

"You know I used to have one just like this." she rolled it back and forth across the top of the trunk.

"oh…uh…strange coincidence." Dan shifted nervously.

"Back on the island all I ever saw were VW vans and jeeps, so my dad got one like this so I could see what a sports car looked like. I lost it though, didn't ever think I'd need something to remember him by."

"You can have this one, If you'd like."

"You really are very sweet." Charlotte pocketed the car and kissed his cheek.

"We need to move the luggage, I think they are going to start taking down the tents." Daniel was rather sad to be leaving, it was a stark reminder that time was running out. His past self was now already in Fiji. He had gone down early so he could try to get used to new surroundings.

This left his house, or rather his mothers house that he now occupied, was empty. Daniel, was in a way getting his wish, he was getting to take Charlotte home with him. Although it was for a limited amount of time.

* * *

The time they spent together in Massachusetts passed quickly, much to Daniel's apparent disappointment and to Charlotte's concealed disappointment.

Dan's caretaker turned up one day to do some cleaning, thinking he was still away. He had to quickly direct her into another room and explain that he decided not to go on the trip after all and that he didn't want his guest to know about it. She had seemed completely baffled by the fact that his memory had miraculously recovered. Dan thanked her politely but told her he would no longer be needing her help. He showed her out.

"Who's that, your wife?" Charlotte asked, she was sitting on the sofa flicking through a magazine.

"Funny, No, she used to take care of me when I was…unwell."

Charlotte closed the magazine and turned to face him, "In Tunisia you were bragging about your piano skills, you going to play me a song then?"

"Uh, sure. Any particular requests?" Dan glanced at the piano. He swallowed nervously with anticipation, it was to be the first time he'd touched the piano after recovering his memory.

"How about some Moonlight Sonata."

"Whatever you want." he brushed the thin layer of dust that rested on the polished wood away, sat down and lifted the lid.

Charlotte joined him and encouraged him to budge up so she could sit and watch.

It all came flooding back to Dan, he could remember each note clearly now. Charlotte rested her head against his arm as she listened to him play.

"Okay, so maybe you have a right to brag." she smiled. "I'd give up science too if I was as talented as you."

Daniel returned her smile as he completed the piece. Charlotte took a hold of his hand and entwined her fingers with his as the first slither of doubt concerning the impending trip entered her mind. For a moment she indulged the alternative, staying here with Daniel, she could not fight the warm feeling it bought.

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A/N: review if you like XX


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff

a/n: Thanks for the reviews guys XX

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"Dan, come on don't start that again…" Charlotte sighed as she draped an arm over his shoulder.

"Charlotte, It is going to be dangerous." he leant back against her and absently poked at the frothy bubble bath, watching as some of the larger bubbles popped, it did little to distract him from his troubled thoughts. There was no way he could tell her that he knew what lay in store for her, she would think him crazy and would never actually believe him. He had not mentioned the matter all week but she had noticed that something was bothering him at dinner.

"Look I get it alright, you want to protect me, its lovely, it is, and I do understand. After everything that's happened to you it makes perfect sense." she rested her chin on his shoulder and gave a smile which did not extend to her whole face.

"But…" Daniel knew that she hadn't finished.

"But, I have work to do. Dan, I have spent my whole life working for this."

"Not your whole life, not yet." his words seemed to strike home with her.

Charlotte was silent for a while. "Its done okay, my mind is made up."

He slumped down and tapped his fingers on her knee why he tried to think of something to say to that.

All he could think about was how, over the next few days, everything would be ruined. Charlotte would go to Fiji and inevitably meet his past self. She wouldn't understand why he wouldn't know who she was. Perhaps she would think he was being cruel, that he had just been using her all this time and she would avoid him on the freighter. Then again maybe she would figure everything out.

"Come on, don't sulk." Charlotte broke the tension by splashing him with a handful of water. "You know, you could come with me."

Dan turned his head so he could meet her eyes, "I can't... I mean I'd love to but I just…Charlotte, I just can't."

"Yeah, of course, sorry it was a stupid idea." she brushed a stray strand of hair, that had managed to escape her hair band, behind her ear.

He knew it took great courage for her to ask him, he hated himself for shooting her down but he really had no choice.

She shook off her embarrassment, "Don't look so sad. I'll only be gone for a month or so." her hands rested on his shoulders as she encouraged him to lye back against her chest.

Dan really wanted to invest in the delusion that she would come back and that she was not heading towards her death. "You won't dilly dally?"

Charlotte gave a loud laugh, "Excuse me?! Have you ever used that expression before!"

"No, no, someone said it to me once, I guess it just stayed with me." Dan smiled as she kissed the back of his neck.

"I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long. That's the best I can promise, alright?"

The water was getting cold so she turned on the hot tap.

Daniel told himself he would try again in the morning. He would tell her that he was in love with her and beg her not to leave. He would abandon all pride to prevent her death.

* * *

Charlotte turned the vibrating alarm off on her phone, she had hidden it beneath the pillow so it would wake her but not Daniel.

The screen lit up and she double checked the time. She groaned, it was 4am, the time she had assigned herself for sneaking out. Saying goodbye to Dan would be too hard and if she were to try it she knew there was a risk that she would not be able to go.

Charlotte tossed her phone into her bag and pulled the covers up to her chin. Dan was holding her round the middle, Charlotte was warm and comfortable which made it even more difficult to muster the motivation to get up. She twisted to face him and kissed his bottom lip, he half consciously resiprocated.

Charlotte huffed with the regret that came with what she was about to do was.

She carefully prised his arms off of her, Dan muttered something in his sleep and rolled on to his stomach. Charlotte walked on tiptoes as she collected her clothes up and dressed. She noticed Dan's journal on the desk and considered stealing it. She hadn't gotten around to secretly reading it yet. The journal remained on the desk, Charlotte figured she had already taken enough from Dan.

She slung her backpack over her shoulder, the rest of her luggage had been sent to Fiji already so it left her with very little to carry.

"Goodbye Daniel." Charlotte whispered as she stroked his hair, her fingers lingering for longer than she should have allowed, he was still lost to the world. She reminded herself that it was better, or at least easier, this way and crept out.

* * *

Daniel had been distraught to find himself alone when he awoke, for a moment he let himself believe that Charlotte was just downstairs getting breakfast but he knew in his heart that this was not the case. He had stayed curled up under the covers for a few hours before forcing himself up and out for a walk.

Dan had walked aimlessly for hours and had eventually winded up at a small café. He nursed his coffee quietly in a corner, feeling deservedly sorry for himself. Charlotte had left without saying goodbye and there was a good chance he would never see her again. If she did somehow survive the island then surely the confusion caused by meeting his past self would serve sufficient alienation between them. He should have told her how he felt, but all things considered, she probably knew. The horrible sensation of feeling ripped in two had returned, he hadn't felt it since she had died.

An elderly couple had been watching him since he had entered the Café, Daniel had bigger issues on his mind and had paid them no attention, they were now making their way towards him. He rubbed his red, puffy eyes with the back of his hand and glanced up at them.

As he looked back down at his coffee he realised that he recognised them. Dan's eyes shot back up, his jaw dropped slightly with surprise. Thirty years had taken their toll on the faces he had last seen just over a month ago.

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a/n: review if you want to X


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.

a/n: Thanks to peeps that read and those who reviewed the last chapter.

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"You know who we are?"

Daniel nodded and gestured for the couple to take a seat.

"Damn!" Jim Lefleur shook his now grey hair out of his eyes, "I thought it was gunna be you, but from before you know. I said to her ain't it going to do damage if we meet you before we meet you?"

Daniel shook his head, 30 years and Sawyer was no closer to understanding anything he had told him about time travel. Daniel wondered if he even understood it anymore.

"There is two of me at the moment, one in Fiji and me here now in front of you. Just as there is two of both of you, present and past."

"Its been a long time." spoke Juliet finally. Dan found the deep wrinkles around her eyes slightly unnerving, other than that she had aged very well.

"See, we figured after Red bit it that you went and did yourself in." James gave a dark chuckle, Juliet shot him an exasperated look.

Daniel kept his eyes cast down, he had abandoned them on the island and given little thought to what might have become of them. "How…how have you been?" he asked weakly.

"We left the island in 1979 because I fell pregnant, our son is grown now. All in all its not been a bad life, I guess we owe that to the island at least." Juliet smiled.

"What about you Twitchy?" James interjected.

"For the last month I have been with her." it already felt like a lifetime ago.

"Who?"

"Charlotte." Juliet whispered to him under her breath.

"But…"

"She isn't dead yet, she leaves for the island in a few days." Daniel answered before James could finish his question.

Juliet exchanged glances with her husband, "Dan, did it occur to you that you were always supposed to stop her."

She had once been envious of the bond between Daniel and Charlotte. She had wished that just once somebody would love her as completely, so she would know what it felt like not to be second best. Her years with James had occasionally been filled with doubt. Juliet used to wonder if he still longed for Kate, she didn't anymore. He would still bring home flowers, just as he had done when they had first got together but it had stopped feeling temporary years ago.

Miles had bought Daniel back to the Dharma conpound after Charlotte had died, his grief was all consuming. Juliet did not know exactly what had happened, but by looking at Dan she could hazard a guess that he had gone from the island straight back into Charlotte's arms.

It made her very uncomfortable to catch their reflections in the glass window. Daniel had not aged, he had moved seamlessly through time where as herself and James had lived out each year. It had given them time for their wounds to heal, Daniel had no such luxury.

"I…I have tried... To stop her I mean" Dan replied after an uncomfortable silence.

"Well try harder, do you love this woman or not?" James slammed a fist on the table. "Go after her."

Dan looked up and met his eyes, "I don't think she would listen to me."

Juliet laughed, "I seem to remember that you are the only one she would listen to."

He gave a slight smile, "She told me that her mind was made up."

"Did you tell her that she's gunna wind up under the dirt?"

Daniel shook his head, he felt sick to his stomach. Seeing these two, with their long life together, reminded him off how much he was about to loose.

Poor Charlotte, it was just so unfair. Daniel felt he should have learnt that life was unfair by now.

"It was nice seeing you again." He lied as he pushed out his chair and made for the door.

Juliet turned to her husband and held his gaze.

"Oh god woman, I know that look."

"We should help him out." she spoke determinedly.

James rolled his eyes, "Why? Not like we were bosom buddies."

"Come on, I just feel sorry for him." Juliet smiled, "And hey, if he didn't ditch us on the island do you think we would have ever gotten together?"

"Goddamn, alright okay, Blondie you win again."

"Not so "Blondie" anymore." she stroked back her long greying hair.

"Ah, you'll always be Blondie to me." he grinned and squeezed her hand, "So what's the plan."

"Do you think Miles still has those letters?"

* * *

Charlotte threw herself back on to her hotel bed. Naomi had given her a medical form to fill out before she underwent medical tests. One of the questions had sent her mind spinning. She hardly ever jumped into bed with men and on the rare occasions that she had she was always careful, except in Tunisia.

Everything had happened so quickly and in the heat of the moment, Charlotte had been so keen to remove the sad look from Daniel's face that she had been careless. She had given it no thought as she already had a lot on her mind.

Of course they had taken precautions when they got to Massachusetts but it did little to ease Charlotte's apprehension that once might have been enough.

The doctor had taken a blood sample two days ago, Charlotte had asked him to ring her with the results as to avoid the suspicion that would be created by a second visit.

She removed her phone from her pocket and stared at the screen, willing it to ring. If he didn't get back to her soon it would cost her the place on the boat, as would a positive result.

Charlotte dropped it down on the bed beside her and rubbed her temples. Her heart almost exploded with shock when the phone buzzed and rung. She took a deep breath and answered.

"Hello,"

"Miss Staples Lewis, I have the results of your blood test." The doctor spoke calmly, completely indifferent to her predicament.

"Yes, well tell me then." Charlotte snapped impatiently.

"It came back negative, so I have signed your forms and passed them on to Miss Dorrit. Enjoy your trip."

"Thank you." Charlotte hung up and dropped the phone down again. That was that then.

She tentatively placed a hand on her stomach, it made her feel strangely empty. Alone in her small hotel room she thought about how it would have been the perfect excuse to go running back to Daniel. It was hard enough being away from him, she'd wake up in the morning and for a couple of seconds she would forget that he wasn't with her. If a baby was involved then she would not have been able to step on that boat, putting herself in danger was one thing but she would never risk their child. Charlotte realized there was no reason to worry on this as the doctor had told her the test was negative. It didn't stop her from exploring the "_what if's_" that had snuck into her mind whilst she had waited for the results.

Dan would have been thrilled, she could practically see his face smiling at her. He would have hugged her and made her feel safe, she wouldn't have been frightened or nervous about being pregnant because he would be with her. Dan would be a great father, she had never met a man so loving.

It was stupid to think on things that weren't real, that was what she had been told so many times as a little girl.

She was so close to proving that everything she had believed in was real, and when she was done she would come back and, providing Daniel would still have her, start a life with him. Charlotte tried to deny the fact that it made her a little more excited than actually going to the Island did.

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A/N:Review if you fancy it


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own this stuff.

A/N: thanks everyone who reviews, makes me happy

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Dan turned off the television and leant back in his chair. He contemplated the books on the side table that he could not be bothered to read. He was bored and depressed. His stupor was interrupted by a disturbance at the back door. Dan imagined that it was Charlotte returning to tell him that she had changed her mind. When he turned to look he was greeted by the sight of his mother, standing in the door way with her mouth agape.

"Daniel? I thought you had left for Fiji?" she put her hand bag down on the dining room table and made her way through to the living room. Her son said nothing.

"Have you changed your mind?" she persisted.

Daniel stared vacantly into space.

Eloise sighed sadly as she realised that his strange behaviour was not being caused by his brain injury. "How long have you been back?"

"A month." he muttered as he took an empty cup into the kitchen. Eloise followed him.

"Would it make any difference if I told you that I am so very sorry?" she said emptily.

Daniel shook his head and leant against the counter, "Don't."

"Now Daniel, I didn't raise you to sulk."

"When I was a child, there would be days where you'd look at me and just…you'd look so depressed." He started, "I thought maybe you didn't want me, but it was about what you did to Charlotte, wasn't it?"

"Charlotte, was that her name?"

Dan nodded his head.

"Nothing I can say can ever make it better Daniel, you know that. I didn't purposely murder the woman you loved, It was an accident and I did try to warn you." his mother folded her arms as she spoke.

"When, when did you try to warn me?"

"I told you the women in your life were destined to suffer." she shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly.

Daniel considered this information, he remembered those word from the day of his graduation. Eloise knew that his relationship with Theresa was destined to fail and that he would love another, she had been so vague but he knew that if she had told him the truth he most likely would have ignored her anyway.

"I can't…I can't be around you, not now anyway." He blinked to stop the stinging in his eyes.

"Very well, you shouldn't be alone, I shall ring for your caretaker."

"No, no, just go okay, please." he thought about telling her about meeting Penny and finding out that Widmore was his father, he decided against it, he wasn't ready to deal with that mess yet.

* * *

Charlotte felt foolish as she explored Fiji, she could hardly believe that she had even entertained the notion of having a baby with a man she had known for a mere month. She could not deny her deep feelings for him so instead she had to keep them dormant until she got back.

Charlotte was now trying to focus on the job at hand, she had been introduced to one of her team mates earlier that morning. Naomi was irritated by the absence of the third member of the science team and had set out to collect him. Charlotte had conversed briefly with Miles and had failed to figure out why he had been hired. Naomi had not returned after half an hour so they were given bags of equipment and tools and told to rendezvous at the docks at 2 o'clock. Charlotte felt unusually calm, she almost wished she was more excited, after all she had spent so long working towards this.

"Hey."

Charlotte turned around expecting to see Miles, but was instead met by an old man.

"Excuse me, do we know each other?" Charlotte frowned.

"Yeah, yeah we do."

"Sorry, I don't recall." she gave a curt smile and turned away.

The man grabbed her arm and led her into a small, dusty bar.

"Oi, get off me! How dare you." Charlotte tore her arm away. "You should know I have a gun in my bag."

"Shut up." he spat out under his breath. "Look I don't even know how to explain everything that happened okay, I'm just here to give you these." The old man rummaged in his bag and produced a stack of letters bound with a piece of string.

Charlotte snatched them and freed the one on the top.

"What is this?" She frowned as she tore open the aged envelope.

"They're from your dad, letters he wrote to you but they always got returned. I worked with him in the Dharma Initiative and when I left I took them so I could deliver them, he was a good man."

"Took you long enough." she muttered as she unfolded the paper.

"Yeah well your mother didn't make it easy."

Charlotte's mind was spinning, she could hardly comprehend a single word written on the yellowing paper.

She stumbled out on to the street as she read, followed by the old man.

"_Happy 6__th__ birthday darling, I'm so sorry that I can't be there…Merry Christmas, I hope Santa brings you everything you wished for, sorry that I can't be there." _

Her stomach churned as she tore open the letter at the bottom of the pile, it was stamped with a red "Deceased". Her hand shook and one of the unopened letters slipped free, the wind took it. Without thinking Charlotte tripped down from the high curb to retrieve it, before she could even draw the breath to scream the car hit her. The aged Miles watched with horror as the bumper ploughed into her and sent her backwards a few feet.

Naomi shoved her way passed him, she did not recognise him and why should she, it had been thirty years since her death.

"Shit! it's the anthropologist!" She called back through the gathering crowd. "Go to her, keep her conscious if you can."

Daniel caught up with her and stared with horror at the sight. Naomi pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance. Miles stepped back into the crowd and watched as Faraday crouched down beside Charlotte.

"Dan…? You came?" she wheezed.

"Its alright, Naomi is calling the hospital, you'll be okay." he soothed as he gently stroked her cheek with his fingers.

Charlotte blinked the tears out of her eyes, "You cut your hair?"

Daniel gave her a confused look, he concluded that the poor girl must have taken quite a bump to the head so he did not question her apparent familiarity with him. For all he knew they could have met already and his damaged brain had just forgotten. As he let his fingers brush against her soft curly hair he wondered if it would even be possible to forget someone so startlingly beautiful.

"If this is it… I mean if I…I want you to know that I love you, Dan." she gave a quick smile before the pain in her ribs finally caused her to pass out.

"What's her name?" Daniel asked as the paramedics loaded her into the back of the ambulance.

Naomi placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's Charlotte, god you weren't kidding about memory problems were you."

"Maybe, maybe I should go with her?" He stared at the back of the ambulance and thought of the woman who said she loved him but who he did not know.

"Sorry, no can do we are already a team member down, the boat won't wait. We have to leave without her."

The two of them made their way back to the dock, Daniel glancing back over his shoulder as they went. They passed the elderly Miles and for a second his eyes met with Naomi's. With a flash she looked away and disappeared into the crowd. Miles took a second to breath deep before taking out his phone. He scrolled through the address book until he found "Lafleur".

"Hi, yeah its me, I did as you said... well she isn't going to the island that's for sure... I'll text you the address of the hospital... I didn't push her or anything stop yelling! Just tell Faraday will you." with that he hung up.

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A/N: thanks for reading :D review if ya want


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: don't own this stuff.

A/N: So last chapter, thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed I really appreciate it. I also apologise for how long it took me to put this up, its been written for a few days but i've been unsure about it. Hope you enjoyed the ride. Thanks again.

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Daniel wondered why it was that when he wanted to be left alone he would receive visitors. Usually no-one ever came round. He ignored the knocking on the door, but the knocking persisted.

Dan gave an exasperated sigh and gave in. As he undid the latch the Lafleurs bustled through the door.

"Uh…hi."

"Look, we were just tryin' to help you out…" Sawyer began, his eyes wide, more with excitement than fear.

Juliet put her hand on his arm. Their lives had been so quiet and ordinary for so long that the slightest out of the ordinary event could evoke long lost feelings from the island within him.

"What's going on." Dan tripped backwards slightly as James and Juliet paced. They exchanged a glance.

"Long story short, your girlfriend is in the hospital."

Daniel's jaw dropped as he tried to ask what happened.

"Charlotte got hit by a car in Fiji." Juliet tried to put it gently.

"Is she alright, I mean, what?! What happened?!"

"I dunno, Miles gave her some letters and she ran out into the street and got hit, he weren't to clear with the details." James pulled his long grey hair back.

"What's this got to do with Miles? Is she going to be okay." Daniel repeated, he thought that perhaps he was having another strange dream. His mind had been concocting situations in which Charlotte did not get on the boat, but he never imagined her being hurt.

"We don't know Daniel, Miles said she's in hospital." Juliet stated simply, keeping her voice steady and low as to not panic Daniel. She delved into her hand bag and produced a piece of paper with the address for the hospital jotted on.

"I should go, now, she'll be alright won't she?" he said mostly to himself as he started collecting the items he would need to travel. He looked to Juliet for reassurance, she smiled fleetingly, her brow still lined and concerned.

"I hope everything works out for you this time." Juliet tapped his shoulder. She really meant it, it seemed the universe was just determined to make poor Daniel suffer.

She felt a phantom twinge in her neck as she thought of the ferocity Charlotte had used to hit her when she had aimed a gun point blank at Daniel.

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The journey was made even longer by his constant worrying that when he got to Fiji, Charlotte might be dead….again. As soon as the plane landed he phoned the number Sawyer had given him.

"Hey, who is this." Came the reply.

"Its Daniel."

Miles was silent for a beat or two, "Long time Dan, I thought you killed yourself."

"Oh, well I didn't, and its only been about a month for me, since I last saw you."

Miles sighed, "Its all too weird."

Dan gave the briefest of smiles, it was strange to think of someone who could converse with the dead being weirded out. "What happened to Charlotte."

"She ran out, I couldn't stop her."

"Miles, I just can't loose her again." his voice broke as he spoke.

The man on the other end of the line shifted awkwardly, "Look Dan, she's probably fine, she was talking before she passed out. Oh yeah, you were with her, back when you were all brain fried. I wouldn't worry about that though, she hit her head pretty hard." Miles was not comfortable with telling Daniel that Charlotte had said she loved him so he omitted that detail. He wondered why he was always around when they decided to get all gooey eyed on each other.

They said their goodbyes as Daniel told the taxi driver to go to the hospital. He made a second phone call as the driver pulled away from the airport.

"Hello, Staples-Lewis Residence."

Dan chickened out and hung up, he would ring back when he was sure Charlotte was okay or better still Charlotte could ring her family herself. If he had to ring and tell them she was dead he might actually have to considered doing what Miles, Juliet and Sawyer had all assumed he had done.

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Once at the hospital, a nurse told him that Charlotte had checked herself out. A wave of relief flooded over him, she was not dead. The nurse checked her chart and said that she had recovered from her concussion and had only suffered bruised ribs and a sprained ankle.

As he walked out of the large automatic doors his relief dwindled slightly, she probably made the boat after all.

With nowhere to go he wandered towards the dock, the place he had first met Charlotte.

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Charlotte had first met Daniel in the Jungle years ago, they had met again on the freighter and in Tunisia and once more after she had been hit. She was only aware of the meeting in Tunisia.

Charlotte sighed as she stared out over the ocean, no sign of the freighter. What the hell was she supposed to do now! Go home and carry on with her life knowing she had blown her only chance to prove herself sane?

The dock was dark and empty save for a few tiny fishing boats, It was miserable and lonely. Would she be completely out of order if she went back to Massachusetts to find Daniel? Would he be angry with her? He had all the right in the world to be, she had left without saying goodbye. If she had broken his heart then she would not be able to forgive herself.

"Charlotte?!" she heard Dan's voice and for a moment she thought it was just a memory. Charlotte glanced back over her shoulder and found him standing a couple of yards away, a weight was lifted from her heart as she held his gaze. She had no idea of how to start.

"Can you believe they left without me, bastards." She eased herself up from her seated position and limped towards him. Arms outstretched, she pulled the baffled man into an embrace. Remembering her bruised ribs he wrapped his arms around her neck and shoulders.

"I'm sorry." she murmured against his neck, hoping the words didn't seem empty or redundant.

"Shhh, its okay, don't worry about it." so polite and kind, Charlotte gripped him a little tighter.

"I got run over." she laughed at the absurdity.

"I heard, are you alright?" He moved back slightly so he could look at her face, she was covered in scrapes and bruises. His hands cupped her cheeks the way she liked.

"Yeah they gave me some painkillers. It's so stupid, this man said he was from the Dharma Initiative and he gave me all these letters from my dad." she furrowed her brow.

They sat down together on the side of the dock as she took the letters from her bag.

"Most are just sentimental slush, but this one, incidentally the one I ran out into the street for is scary." she handed Daniel the envelope.

He gave her a sympathetic look as he noted the "deceased" stamp.

_Dearest Charlotte,_

_Never ever ever come back to the island. Promise me that no matter how much we miss each other you will stay away. I hear you have a new sister now and that your mother has a new husband. They must be your family now, love them and forget all about this terrible place. Work hard at school, get a good job, be happy and if you should ever fall in love don't let that person slip through your fingers. I regret losing your mother's love every single day, but deep down I think she understood why she had to take you away. I hope one day that I can come home to England and see you, if not do not coming looking for me. Charlotte if you come to this island you will die._

_Love for you Always,_

_Dad._

"It's not like I thought I'd ever get to see him again…but…" Charlotte choked a little as she spoke, it was hardly noticeable but Daniel picked up on it. He wanted to tell her that it was okay if she was upset but she continued before he could speak, "It's just nonsense though, isn't it, dramatics."

Daniel carefully folded the paper and slid it back into the envelope. They sat together quietly.

"I am so in love with you and if going to the island is the only thing that can make you happy, then..."

Charlotte stared up at him, a startled expression on her face. "Dan, you didn't have to say that, I'm not going anywhere." she vaguely remembered saying the same to a short haired Daniel, she dismissed it as a hallucination caused by the accident.

"I said what I said because I meant it."

Charlotte smiled, "I know, and I guess, as its such a romantic setting…" She made a gesture to the oil streaks in the murky water and the stinking fishing boats, "…That I should tell you I love you too, even though its completely absurd and we've only known each other a month…"

Daniel kissed her before she could continue with her confused analysis.

"I don't think going to the Island is the only thing that would make me happy." she smiled. "However, when we are old, grey, practically dead and in desperate need of a holiday destination we could go to Florida or maybe we could consider the Island?"

Dan grinned at her compromise, "You are going to stay with me until we are old and grey?"

"If you play your cards right." she smirked and placed her arm around his shoulder. He helped lift her to her feet.

Maybe when the time came, when they were old and grey as she had visualized, he could tell her the whole story. That day was decades away and for now they could just live out their lives, free from islands, brain aneurisms and bullets.

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A/N: Reviews if you'd like too


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